In Another World
by SpiritWolfSong
Summary: When Lisanna died, it was devastating. When Lucy dies in the same fashion, words cannot contain the sorrow the guild goes through. Natsu is overcome with grief, all he has left is her keys. In Edolas, he will meet her again, not her but someone else that looks like her, or is it? A NaLu Fanfiction. Lucy gets sucked into the Anima.
1. Tears that Fall like Rain

**This is an AU fic where Lucy gets sucked into the Anima.**

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><p><span>Chapter One- Tears that Fall like Rain<span>

The walls are collapsing all around them. Nirvana is falling. The ground is rushing to meet it. The members of the alliance all race against rubble and falling debris to escape the destruction. Gray is the first to escape certain death. His body is pitched from the death machine with a jump. He hits the ground and starts sliding. His hands catch the ground, slowing is body.

"That was close," he grunts as he continues to try and stop. He comes to rest in a clearing. Gray's eyes turn to the desolation, "Woah... Is everyone safe?"

Dust rises from the collapsing city. It fills the air with a choking tan dust. The ice mage is too engrossed in the falling city to notice the redheaded woman sprinting towards him. She calls out to him, "Gray!"

The young man jumps at the sound, turning to face the source of his name. Relief fills his voice as he notices who it is, "Erza! And..."

Another form starts to take shape from the blanket of stone fog. The reequip mage turns around to see who is behind her. A man appears, large muscles bulging from his grotesquely shaped body. His skin is flawlessly sparkling. A pair of torn pants are the only thing covering him. His face is covered in large bulbous bumps. He lights up when he sees the redhaired woman, "Erza-san! Thank goodness you're safe!"

Both Fairy Tail mages jump back, preparing to attack the creature, or whatever the thing before them is. The man stops, staring blankly at Erza as she demands, "What goes there?"

"An enemy? And... Ew..." Gray exclaims before the stranger can reply.

"Please calm down, you two," the thing begs, waving his hands at them in a flamboyant manner. A vial suddenly appears in his fingers and he uncaps it. Yellow fog shimmers around him, "Thanks to the power of my parfum, my body has changed!"

His leg kicks out behind him and he starts to spin with the yellow sparkles surrounding him, "But the inside is the same me, unchanged even a bit!"

His body starts spinning like a top while the powder around him shifts into an iridescent hue. The bumps on his face disappear. He stops, pointing his finger at the two mages and posing, "Ichiya, at your service!"

The fog changes and the parfum mage is sparkling. His body is in an awkward position, with his butt protruding out and arms saluting and pointing at the Fairy Tail mages. Both of them have dropped their attack stances and are looking at the ground.

"You sure attract the weirdos," Gray admits to Erza, not looking at Ichiya, who has taken it upon himself to shift his pose.

"Yes... Well, he's dependable at least," Erza agrees, trying to put a positive spin on things. Ichiya shifts again, flexing his bulbous muscles. The conversation is abruptly ending as more mages run into the clearing.

"Everyone! You are safe?" The large man in the back of the group asks. This mage wears clothes similar to that of an Egyptian style. He looks exhausted and a bit beat up, but he seems to brighten up at the fact that others made it out.

"Where's Natsu-san, Jellal, Lucy and Happy?" The blue-haired dragon slayer asks as they continue to run towards the other group. The white Exceed flies next to her dragon-slayer counterpart. Ichiya, ever observant, looks out over the dusty ruins, "I do not see them! They must be inside!"

The rest of the group glances around in search of their missing partners.

"That piece of flame!" Gray exclaims with disguised concern. His eyes search the dust.

"Lucy!" Erza calls out, looking over in the trees in case something could have happened.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cries in a distressed voice.

"He-cat," Carla murmurs softly, searching around.

"Natsu...Lucy... Jellal... What are you doing?" Erza murmurs as she looks out over the ruins in front of her.

Just as hope begins to dwindle, the ground underneath Wendy shakes. A face pops out, then another and another!

"Love will save your friends! Yes.." A large man carrying the pink-haired dragon slayer and blue-haired mage exclaims. They all look worse for wear. Jellal is limp in his savior's arms. Natsu just looks annoyed.

"Sheesh... Making us worried like that," Gray crosses his arms and stares at the new group. Wendy tears up, running towards the pinkette, "Natsu-san!"

"That's Hot Eye! Why would a member of Oracion Seis...?" Carla exclaims, nervously watching Wendy run towards the enemy.

"It's a long story, but don't worry. He's a friend," Jura reassures, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

A smile adorns the young dragon-slayer's face. She jumps into his arms, sniffling softly, "You really... kept your promise!"

Natsu holds a confused look on his face for a moment as Wendy starts to tear up. He grins happily and Wendy lets him go, "Thank you, for saving my guild."

"It's because we all had the power, right?" Natsu remarks humbly. They turn towards the gathered group and Wendy smiles, "All of us?"

The grin on Natsu's face fades as he searches for his two partners. The familiar presence of a blue Exceed and a blonde Celestial mage has not gone unnoticed. Gray looks over the ruins of Nirvana with unmasked concern.

"Where's Lucy and Happy?" Natsu questions, all joy from earlier melting off of his features. The rest of the group shakes their head, unable to give an answer. Wendy raises her hands to her mouth, tears pouring down her face. Ichiya silently murmurs, "Men…"

"We… we don't know," Erza states bluntly, trying to remain composed. Her fists betray the uncertainty. They are shaking with every feeling that isn't being shown on her face. Wendy makes a strangled cry. It's been too long. They couldn't be gone.

"Lucy! Happy!" Natsu spins around, crying out for his teammates. His voice cracks slightly. As the dust starts to settle, the ruins of Nirvana become more horrifying. The prospect that the two group members could be buried underneath the city… it's breaking to even the strongest of souls.

"Natsu!" A high voice echoes through the clearing. All eyes gaze upwards to find Happy and Lucy flying down to meet them. At first, the group cheers until they notice that the Celestial Mage is limp in the Exceed's grasp. Tears are running down the cat's face. They near closer to the ground and Happy's wings give out, speeding up their descent. Instead of the two crash landing, they end up in Natsu's arms.

"Natsu… L-Lucy got hit in the head…," Happy sniffles as Natsu lowers his two friends to the ground. The dragon slayer can feel that something is off. His blonde haired companion is starting to fade. Her scent. Her lovely vanilla scent is gone. Wendy rushes up beside the pinkette, kneeling down as she wipes her eyes. Lucy looks worse for wear. Her body is covered in dirt and grime and her forehead has a large bump on it from where the rock hit her. Her eyes are closed, but she is still breathing.

"Wendy, can you do anything?" Natsu pleads, seeing that this could be detrimental. The loss of her scent plagues him. What could do that? She couldn't be… dying could she? This wound isn't serious enough.

"I think so," the sky dragon slayer replies, scooting closer to Lucy. Her hands start to glow as she raises them above the Celestial Mage. The bump on her head doesn't heal, but Lucy's eyes open. Her brown eyes find Natsu's onyx ones and she smiles, "Is everyone okay?"

Wendy brings back her hands, letting the light disappear. Lucy should have healed. What went wrong? She seems fine, but the fact that the sky magic did not heal her is unnerving.

"Everyone is safe," Erza replies, calming now that her teammate is back. Nobody but Carla notices the look of horror on Wendy's face. Everyone is smiling at the return of the Celestial mage until…

"Lucy, what's wrong with your guild mark?" Gray interjects everyone's happiness. All eyes look towards the pink mark on her hand. It is fading, sliding off her skin in an array of sparkles. The Celestial Mage starts to glow.

"Lucy?" Happy blubbers, tears streaming down his face. She is starting to rise into the sky. Nobody questions this, Natsu simply wraps his arms around her, "Lucy, don't disappear!"

Her eyes are starting to close, but everyone present can see fear etched into her face. They don't know what is happening, it's a shock to everyone. Tears start to run down Wendy's face again. Her body is fading now, and her mouth opens up, "Natsu…."

"Lucy! Lucy-san! Lucy!" The group yells at her as her legs start to ebb into oblivion. At this point tears are falling like rain. A golden light appears behind the group. Loke and Virgo are standing there, silently grieving for their fallen friend. Natsu looks down at Lucy in his arms. A tear falls from his face and right through her, "...Lucy. Don't leave me too."

He tries to tighten his arms around her, but she's gone. His arms grasp thin air. Natsu leans forward, searching for a presence that is no longer there. Her body disappears before everyone's eyes. The spirit keys clatter to the ground. Natsu's fingers brush the cold metal. His nose inhales nothing but dust. Tears drip down his face as he takes the Celestial Portals into his grasp.

"Luuuuuuuucy!" Natsu whines, lowering his head and hoping that with all his heart that when he raises it again, it will all be a trick. She will be there.

Loke falls to the ground, eyes wide with tears, "Not again…."

Virgo's face, usually so emotionless, is filled with grief. Before anyone can say a word, the two spirits disappear. They have nothing left to tether them to this world.

Wendy covers her mouth, her tiny body racking with shuddering sobs. Carla's ears lay flat on her head as tears cover her face. Happy is weeping, looking down at the spot where his teammate used to be. Erza is shaking and crying out of her one real eye. Her hands cover her face. Gray stands in spot, mouth open in shock. His eyes do not wet, but his face says it all. Jura, Ichiya, and Hoteye are sharing their own form of grief, though it does not ring of the same caliber. Jellal hangs limp in Hoteye's arms, unable to wake.

Natsu holds Lucy's keys in his hands, shaking. Tears stream from his face. She's gone. There's nothing. No body, nobody to seek revenge on, nothing. Gone. Forever. Her smile, her happiness, her bravery, her teasing, her anger, her sadness. Lucy is gone. It all happened so fast. Natsu clutches the key's in his hand gently but forcefully. Gone. Dead.

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><p>It seems like an eternity before anyone moves again. Jellal manages to awaken and falls out of Hoteye's grip. All heads turn towards him except for Natsu's. Gray, through his grief, manages to make out a sentence. His voice cracks as he utters it, "Who is that?"<p>

"Jellal…" Erza states bluntly, numbly going to help the man up. Hoteye is crying and dropped him without thinking. The blue haired man stares at her, noticing the tears on her face, "Erza… what?"

His hand reaches to her face, and instead of her pulling back, she falls into his arms. Her arms wrap around him tightly, trying to find some sort of comfort, "Lucy is… dead."

Jellal doesn't know who this person is, but he still wraps his arms around Erza, trying to help her calm down. He doesn't understand, but his fear of his memories returning is dwindling with the preoccupation of Erza seeking him out for comfort.

"We...we need to tell the guild," Gray breaks the trance that everyone has been set in. He doesn't move from his spot, fists shaking with grief for his fallen comrade.

Ichiya is the first to move, he starts walking towards the path to Caitshelter. His eyes are streaming constant tears, but he continues and runs into a barrier, "What's this… men?"

"A barrier… runes," Jura comments, looking solem. He walks over and presses his hand against one of the sides, "We are boxed in."

Erza lifts her head from the crook of Jellal's neck, looking at the area around them. Knights in white armor start to surround the group. Even then, there is no move for any of them to panic. They are all still in shock from Lucy's untimely demise.

"We wanted to keep you in one place," The leader of the group admits, standing before them. He seems a bit angry that nobody is paying attention to him, so he gathers a large breath and announces, "I am Captain of the Reformed Magic Council's 4th enforcement and detention corps. My name is Lahar."

"You've been reformed, then?" Gray mutters with anger in his voice. How dare the magic council force them to remain in one place when something like this has happened.

"We have been reborn, to uphold the law and protect justice. We have no mercy for those who do evil acts. Our purpose is to detain Oracion Seis. Please turn the one codenamed Hoteye to us," Lahar preaches and then demands in a matter-of-fact tone. Jura runs forward, causing some of the people to step back a bit, "Wait a minute!"

"It is okay, Jura. We do not need anymore strife today. I wish to fix all of my evil deeds so that I may be able to look my brother in the eyes when we meet," Hoteye admits, starting towards the Rune Knights without a smidge of protest.

"Richard-domo… I will search for your brother in your stead. What is his name?" Jura promises, trying to ease the pain of the newly reformed man.

"His name is Wally. Wally Buchanan," Hoteye tells Jura. He looks as if he wants to say more, but the sorrow hanging above the group keeps his voice quiet.

"I-I know that man… he is my friend. He is traveling the continent now," Erza informs, starting to untangle herself from Jellal's grasp.

Fresh tears fall from Richard's eyes as he praises, "A miracle… even in the midst of sorrow… thank you."

Two of the knights escort the man to the prisoner transport vehicle. Jura sports a half a grin for a small segment of time before Ichiya pushes up against the runes, "Let us out, men!"

"Not yet. Our true objective is not Oracion Seis. The one who infiltrated the Magic Council, destroyed it, and fired Etherion. There is a far greater evildoer among you, yes?" Lahar tips his glasses and looks at the blue haired man next to Erza. His face is confused for a moment, until Lahar calls him out, "You, Jellal. Come! If you resist, we will have to use lethal force!"

Erza had finally pulled herself together at this point. Now her eyes widen and she trembles. They can't lose him too. This declaration snaps the group out of their shock. Wendy uncovers her mouth, gulping as she tries to stop the tears falling from her face. Natsu looks up, clutching Lucy's keys close to his heart as he stands. His voice is low and growly, "Hold on a second."

"That man is dangerous and cannot be loose in this world," Lahar reinforces, ignoring the protests from the alliance. Rune Knight's come up around the group, dragging the amnesiac forward and placing handcuffs on his being. Lahar has the audacity to open his mouth again, "Jellal Fernandez. I hereby place you under arrest for high treason of the state."

"Please wait!" Wendy cries out, wiping the steady rain of tears off her face, "Jellal has lost all of his memories."

"By clause 13 of the criminal code, that is not a valid defense," Lahar spouts like a machine, "Release the runes."

His order is directed at a soldier closeby. The man jerks forward in shock, but does as he is told. Wendy walks forward, sniffling.

"Don't cry over him. He's a criminal," a Rune Knight from the bunch growls angrily. Wendy stops, placing her hands over her eyes. She isn't sure who the tears are for anymore. They lost so many. Carla paddles up behind her, "Wendy told me that Jellal once saved her life. At least he has done one good deed."

The Rune Knights are unsympathetic. They pull Jellal towards his doom, and he starts with them willingly. Lahar holds a look of smugness as he passes, "You are sure to have either an execution or a life sentence. Either way. You will never see another human face again."

Before anybody can think, Natsu jumps into the crowd of knights, "We aren't losing anybody else tonight."

"Natsu!" Gray scolds halfheartedly. They can see that this isn't about Jellal. Without warning, the ice mage runs forward, aiding the grieving dragon-slayer. Erza remains shocked. Her eyes try to take in the damage and sorrow that plagues her guildmates and allies. An order has been commanded to restrain the alliance and everyone has begun to battle the Rune Knights.

"Enough!" Erza shouts, pausing the brawl, "Take him! I will take full responsibility."

Her voice shakes, but she has conviction. The Knights release her friends and the redhead can see tears dripping down Natsu's face again. In fact, almost everyone is crying again at this point. Three loses in one day is too much. The Rune Knights retreat, shoving Jellal into the back of the transport

"Ezra… It's the color of your hair," The blue haired ally's last words echo in Erza's mind. Her face darkens as she feels her world shatter. Jellal and Lucy gone. Silence has fallen upon the clearing except for the clicking of horse's hooves as Jellal and Hoteye are taken. Erza's eyes lift and they fall upon Natsu. The pinkette is clutching Lucy's keys in his fist, tears running down his face as he stares at them. Happy stands at his feet, weeping silently. Gray has his hand on the dragon slayer's shoulder. For once, neither are fighting. How could they? They are all broken.

"Natsu, Gray, let's go," Erza commands, knowing that she can't fall apart. Not know. If she fell apart, they all would. They need to move, put one foot in front of the other. Find some way to heal, but in her heart Erza questions if they ever will.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoy the first chapter of In Another World! Also, I feel bad for this chapter since there were so many feels. Argh. Natsu grief always gets me. That's why I put in a Jerza hug, to comfort you. Don't worry about Lucy though. She will come back! Later. <strong>

**Also I listened to Past Story while writing the awful feels scene. It really puts it into perspective. If you want a real round of feels, do the same.**

**Special Thanks to Akela-Nakamura for beta reading! I had some awful mistakes that she fixed for me, thanks sweetheart!**

**For the next chapter I have some sad things planned so bring your tissues!**

**Also, if you like, follow or review or whatever! I would love any feedback!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Spirit**


	2. Skies that Cannot Rival Silence

Chapter Two- Skies that Cannot Rival Silence

The rain hasn't stopped since the news of Lucy's demise. The dark skies rival the gloom that hangs over the guild. It's eerie, for once in a blue moon the whole hall is silent, even when a messenger runs to the door, "Gildarts is coming!"

"Tell the village to prepare for a Gildarts shift," Makarov orders somberly, nursing a mug of brandy in his hand. The master looks disheveled and unpresentable. His cap is on sideways, the long striped end hangs in his face. His clothes look like he dressed in the dark. One of the arms of his bright orange jacket hangs limp against his side. The rest of the guild looks just as worst for wear. Cana refuses to drink her beer, lazily flipping her cards around the table. Nobody wants their fortune told. Macao and Wakaba sit across the table from each other, looking up from their drinks every now and then to try and start conversation. Neither get further than opening their mouth. Members all around the guild are in similar shape. Nobody wants to break the silence. Fairy Tail is quiet, mourning.

Mirajane serves gracious amounts of liquor to anyone nearby, stopping every now and then to let out a choked sob. She misses not only Lucy, but Lisanna. Her sister's death anniversary is coming up soon. The kindhearted mage can't fathom why both would die so young and in such similar fashion. Elfman trails behind her, trying to catch the drinks that fall from her shaking hands. He occasionally lets out a few tears himself, and nobody says a word about him being a man. Wendy rubs the spot where her new guild mark rests. Her tears are cried not only for Lucy, but the knowledge that her entire guild was a fabrication. Levy lays her head on a book, surrounded by many of Mirajane's plentiful drinks. Tears stream down her face. Jet and Droy keep trying to put their arms around her, but she pushes them away to the point where they clutch each other and cry at their misfortune.

Gajeel sits next to Levy, regulating her alcohol intake. He suddenly slams his fists on the table. Startling fairies nearby as he starts getting up and moving toward the true dark cloud over the room. The pink haired man is an utter mess. His scarf is haphazardly laying over his shoulders. His clothes are still the same pair that Virgo gave to him, the ones that match his beloved friend's. He looks like he hasn't done anything but sit for days. His hair is greasy and starting to flatten on his head. Nobody has approached him. They can all see the grief in his face and know not to come near. Not a single soul could console him but her. Gajeel, though, gets the bright idea to walk up behind him.

"How long are you going to sit there, flame-head?" Gajeel questions loudly. The guild collectively raises their heads, a couple shocked, a couple disgusted, and a couple curious.

"Fuck off," Natsu growls, his voice raw from being unused.

"Get a job request, you lazy ass," Gajeel challenges back, leaning forward closer to the other dragon slayer. He's hoping to get slapped or punched. Something that would tell him the pinkette is healing. Natsu frowns, tilting his eyes towards the iron dragon slayer, "Get the hell out of my face."

"Make me," Gajeel taunts. The tension in the room grows. Many people lean forward, wondering what might happen. If it was quiet before, the silence is deafening now. One almost wishes that Erza could stop them, but she and Gray left on a job without their depressed teammate. Happy is passed out on the chair next to Natsu, unable to effect the outcome of this interaction.

Without warning, Natsu's flaming fist slams into Gajeel's stomach. The iron dragon slayer flies across the room, crashing into a table. He lands on top of Jet and Droy, squishing them underneath his weight. They groan, and try to push Gajeel off themselves. Levy manages a small grin at the sight. A couple mages perk up at the aspect of a fight.

"I said leave me alone, Metalface!" Natsu shouts, pocketing the Celestial Keys as he rises from his chair. His body is engulfed in white hot flames, and he starts stalking towards the guildmate that provoked him. Gajeel springs up, brushing off his pants, "Oi! You gotta lotta nerve for someone who hasn't moved in two days!"

"Fire Dragon's Breath!" Natsu shouts hoarsely, making a large stream of fire blast from his mouth. The flames near Gajeel, who smirks as he protects himself with an iron arm.

"You're getting rusty, Salamander!" The iron dragon slayer jests with a half-hearted smirk. At least he got the man up and about again.

"I'm getting all fired up!" The pinkette remarks in return. A frown graces his face for a moment. The line doesn't sound as cool without Lucy around. Before he can retreat, Gajeel sends an iron pillar towards him. Natsu jumps back, lighting his palms on fire. The iron post hits Elfman, who yells, "It's not manly to hit someone not in the fight!"

The white haired man pounces on Gajeel, and some more people from the guild stand up, wiping their eyes and downing the rest of their drinks before joining the fray. Dust kicks up as the brawl commences. Every now and then a splash of magic escapes, causing another nick on furniture or burn on the ceiling. The fight continues for a while, there's a lot of energy to burn. Natsu manages to get a hold of Gajeel again. He spits more fire at him, misses and hits the doors.

"What happened while I was gone?" A voice calls out as the doors crash open. A tall man shroud in a cloak appears. His orange hair contrasts sharply with the black that clothes him.

Instantly the fight stops, all heads turn towards the man. A couple drinks spill on the floor, and a table crashes to the ground, unable to take the weight of Gajeel on top of it.

"Gildarts, 'bout time you showed up!" Makarov slurs, slamming his drink down next to him. The amber liquid swishes onto the table.

"Old man, are you wasted?" Gildarts chuckles, and then breaks into a hearty laugh. He continues until he notices a perturbing silence forming across the room. Eyes are directed towards the floor, and nobody seems to find that funny at all. The Crash mage sighs, "What did I say? And where is Natsu? I'm surprised that kid hasn't come to fight me yet!"

All eyes glance around waiting for the pinkette to come and try to prove that he is okay.

"Salamander! What the hell?" Gajeel shouts, spotting the fire dragon slayer passed out underneath the job request board. Mirajane nears closer to him, managing a tiny smile, "It must be all the activity. He hasn't eaten or done much since..."

She chokes out a sob, covering her mouth. Elfman runs over to her, slinging his arm around her shoulder, "Nee-chan."

"Wait, what did I miss?" Gildarts questions, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. A sheepish smile graces his face until Makarov turns toward him, "A Fairy has died."

"I can't believe it. Who?" Gildarts mumbles, lowering his hand from his head. From what he can tell, nobody is missing. His eyes search over everyone, trying to pick out who has left forever. He looks over at the Strauss siblings, and back around at the gloom in the room, "Lisanna?"

"Yes… she died two years back," The Master informs, hanging his head, "But we have lost another. Her name is.. no... was Lucy."

A groan echoes from the request board and heads spin to find the source. The pinkette seems to start stirring at the sound of his deceased partner's name. Gajeel sneers at the reaction, "Hopeless."

Natsu pushes himself off the floor, onyx eyes locking with Gildarts. A grin builds on the fire dragon slayers face as he pitches himself towards the Crash mage, "Fight me, Gildarts!"

The force of Gildart's punch sends Natsu flying towards the ceiling. The grin on Natsu's face melts as the Celestial Keys clink against the wood. Angrily, the fire dragon slayer pounces on Gildarts again, earning another punch that sends him flying.

"Oi, kid, don't you think you've had enough?" Gildarts questions as the pinkette picks himself back up again. Flames build in the young mage's palms as he rushes at the Crash mage. The man in question slams Natsu to the ground, shaking his head, "Give it up, not today, boy."

"I'm not giving up," Natsu growls as he picks himself up off the ground. His body engulfs in flames, even as the young man underneath sways with the effort. His resolve is lost when Gajeel comes up behind him, locking Natsu's arms in his own, "Salamander, you moron. Eat something before you get your ass whooped."

"I didn't ask you, Metalface," The fire dragon slayer growls, squirming in his comrade's grip.

"Natsu, you sure have changed," Gildarts observes, tilting his head at the boy's haggard appearance. He understands the grief that has taken over the young man's heart. The eyes still gleam with a determination, but he is so dull.

"I can still beat you, old man!" Natsu grumbles angrily, struggling feebly against Gajeel's iron grasp.

"Fight me when you've done something about...this," Gildarts proclaims, gesturing at Natsu. He turns around in a dramatic fashion and breaks a hole in the wall of the guild. Gajeel lets go of the feisty dragon slayer and he falls to the ground. Natsu grumbles something about Gildarts and starts to exit the building. His hole appears next to Gildart's and a couple of the members still in the guild shake their heads at the destruction.

Natsu makes his way down the street, pulling the Celestial Keys out of his pocket again. He feels just terrible. There's this sense of loss that he hasn't felt before. With Igneel, there is always hope. He is out there, and the dragon slayer knows it. This is a different feeling. Completely gone, disappeared. Not even a body left behind, just the keys that she held so dear. Tears are not enough for the pain that he feels, knowing that he couldn't protect her, knowing that there was nothing he could have done. Before he knows where he was going, Natsu is standing in front of her apartment. Part of him doesn't want to go in, because she would never come in to yell at him, but then again…

He walks forward and places his hand on the doorknob. Unlocked, with a twist of his wrist the door swings open.

"Oi! 'bout time you showed up, flames for brains," A voice calls out as Natsu walks in. The ice mage in question is lounging on a chair, shirt and pants discarded nearby.

"It took you a week. I thought you were better than that," the scarlet haired mage replies as she flips through what looks like Lucy's book manuscript.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu grumbles, annoyed that his teammates have even the thought of teasing him when Lucy isn't around.

"We're going on a job, but you wouldn't get off your ass so we had to wait," Gray jests. The line reminds Natsu of what Gajeel said. He has been pretty pathetic. Igneel did say to stand up.

"First, he is cleaning up. I am not being seen with… that," Erza grumbles, putting down the manuscript. Her hands carefully lay it on the table and then straighten it, as if Lucy would come back and get mad that it is out of place.

"She's right, squinty eyes, take a shower," the ice mage chuckles halfheartedly. From the initial shock of seeing his teammates, Natsu can see the strain they are going through to try and bring things back to normal.

"Only if you put some clothes on, droopy eyes," Natsu banters, making his way towards the shower anyways. He can't see it, but his partners both share a look of relief. He opens the door to Lucy's room and sees a bouquet of flowers resting on her bed. He bares his teeth, trying not to think about it when Happy flies in through the window.

"Natsu! I brought you some clothes!" the blue Exceed proclaims, handing the dragon slayer a pair of his usual getup.

"Were you in on it too?" Natsu grumbles, stalking towards the bathroom.

"We planned it right next to you. You were too busy staring into space. It was scary," Happy admits, landing on the floor and following his partner.

"Sorry, Happy," Natsu remarks, handing the Celestial Keys to his friend while he begins to get cleaned up.

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><p>Her head hurts so much. All she can see in her mind are the tears in Natsu's eyes as he called for her not to disappear. Her heart aches. She tried so hard to reach out, but her hands wouldn't move as her body started to fade into the anima. Fear had clutched her heart then, not for her, but for her comrades. Would the same thing happen to them?<p>

Lucy's eyes open and she is in a new place, somewhere entirely foreign. The colors are so bright, and the landscape so different. The Celestial Mage instantly reaches for her belt, searching for her keys.

"Gone!" She exclaims, sitting up from her position on the ground. Her eyes search the area around her, and suddenly everything is different. The grass is.. blue? Lucy runs her hand along the ground, before feeling tears running down her face, "Am I dead?"

Her hand reaches up to touch her face, wiping away the tears. Her eyes glance down at her clothing, "Eh?"

Lucy is clothed in a black leotard with a large protruding collar. Her boots reach up past her knees and are topped with grey lines. A metal plate covers her right shoulder. Lucy pokes at it, making a weird face. Her right forearm is covered with a black and white sleeve. The Celestial Mage's face pales as she inspects the rest of her. A decorative tattoo adorns the top of her left arm. Her hands fly up to her hair. A trinket is holding up the ponytail in it's usual place.

"A skull? I guess I'll get Cancer to..." Lucy starts, being greeted by an empty belt again. That's right. They're gone. Not just her spirits, but her guild. Lucy contemplates laying on the ground and not getting back up, but as she closes her eyes, they are watching her.

"Thanks... everyone," A tear falls from her eyes but she pushes herself off the ground and stands.

* * *

><p>"You took long enough, flame spewer," Gray insults, running a hand through his hair. He seems to have shed the remainder of his clothing.<p>

"Shut up, stripper," Natsu growls angrily, keeping care not to flame up. He doesn't want any part of Lucy's house damaged.

"Gray, clothes," Erza comments with a distracted look as she rummages through some of Lucy's drawers.

"Damnit!" Gray shouts, pulling his discarded items off the ground and starting to dress himself again.

"Can we go? I'm hungry and Lucy doesn't have any fish," Happy complains loudly, stepping out of the kitchen. The group pauses slightly, waiting for the angry yelling that is never going to come. Their eyes look at the area around them. It used to feel like home, but now it seems haunted with a ghost of the past.

"Yeah, let's go," Erza cuts through the silence with ease, taking large strides as she exits through the door.

Gray follows suit, as does Happy. Natsu lingers for a moment, glancing at the Celestial Keys in his hand. He hesitates leaving them on the table where they belong, and instead pockets them again with a large sigh. He turns and trudges out of the room, feeling the weight of his deceased partner crushing his moral.

The strongest team journeys in silence as rain thunders above their heads. Their first job without their beloved Celestial Mage. She may not have been the best of help at times, but she was always there. Was. The dreary attitude continues long after they get out of the rain's cold grasp. The group opts out of a train ride, instead walking to the outskirts of town to complete their mission, reprimand a swindling saleswoman

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Second chapter completed! I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well! Though the feels are real. Depressed Natsu is pretty pathetic and Lucy made an appearance! Wonderful!<strong>

**Thanks again to Akela-Nakamura. She is not chopped liver and is an amazing beta reader!**

**If you can guess what arc I am modifying, leave it in the reviews. Not you Akela. You know.**

**Chapters will be out every other weekend, or shorter if possible!**

**A large thank you to those who reviewed, favorited and followed!**

**Come back next time!**

**Spirit**


	3. For Those Worlds Apart

Chapter Three- For Those Worlds Apart

Standing is the hardest part of waking up in a strange place. Lucy can hardly believe her eyes when she spots a floating river. Fish leap out of it and fly about with ease. Islands float all around her and the blonde mage rubs her eyes to make sure that the bright light that she saw when appearing here didn't damage her eyesight. Her jaw drops finally, after she pinches herself to make sure that she is truly awake.

"Ouch!" She mumbles in response to her skin jolting with pain. Obviously the sight before her is real, and for once, Lucy feels afraid. She wishes Natsu was beside her. Happy and him would be able to make this better. Instantly, she feels a sense of loneliness coming upon her and after that her stomach grumbles. Rubbing the aching bruise on her head, she starts to make her way towards what looks like a path. It's what they would want, right? They would want her to keep moving forward.

The trees seem endless, and eventually the amazement of a new world wears thin as the soles of her boots do the same. Her feet and heart ache for the comfort of home. As if her luck is upon her, the mushroom shrubs part to reveal a pumpkin building. She picks up her pace, starting to circle the building to search for an entrance. Another shock comes to her instead when she spots another building across the clearing.

This structure looks more like a tree than anything else. Two tips spiral outwards into the sky and hold up a sign that gives Lucy hope. It's orange and has the symbol she has been searching for. Fairy Tail. The orange sign has the white insignia blazing as it blows in the wind. A grin appears on Lucy's face and before she knows it, she is running towards the doors. She bursts in and like always, nobody seems to find that odd. For a second it seems like home, until she glances around. The decor matches an earthy feel, with mushrooms and plants replacing furniture. She admires the atmosphere for a second before she notices a pair of eyes watching her from behind a table. A very familiar pair of onyx eyes.

"Natsu?" Lucy beckons, tilting her head as she walks closer. He shies away from her, and bumps into a very large man.

"Juvia-san! Wait for-" The form falls forwards, crashing on top of the flame-brain who bumped into him. Lucy's eyes take a look at this man's face and she pales, "Gray?"

"L-l-lucy's back?!" Gray exclaims, clutching on to Natsu as both of them tremble at her appearance. All heads turn to look at the encounter, heads perching up at the sight of their guildmate returning.

"Oi! Gorilla strength woman, stop distracting everyone while I'm trying to work," A voice shouts from behind her. It sounds familiar, but she has never heard it so angry with her. Her body turns, spotting a familiar bluenette. She is clothed in a skimpy red outfit, with a skull headband. Lucy tilts her head to the side, confused at the other girls anger, "L-Levy-chan?"

Whispers immediately start up through the guild, and Levy drops her wrench, looking shocked at the Celestial Spirit mage.

"Lucy-san, are you feeling okay?" Cana questions. Her outfit is strange as well, a white ruffled dress with a large floppy hat to top it off. Lucy stares at her strangely, starting to notice large differences between these people and her own guildmates.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lucy questions, starting to doubt that she truly found the Fairy Tail she so desperately was searching for. The confusion and kindness in her words causes mouths to drop, Levy is the first one to move, walking up to her, "What game do you think you're playing? Go beat up Natsu or some other time wasting activity like you usually do."

"B-beat up Natsu? I-is that possible?" Lucy stammers, looking around at the guild. She has never done any of those things, and it is strange to have Levy yelling at her. Her mind races to find a solution, but all she can come up with is that these are not the same people, but they have to be. This is Fairy Tail.

"Levy, stop yelling at her! Can't you see that mark on her head?" An unfamiliar voice calls out from the crowd. The people part to reveal a white haired girl standing there. Her hair is cut in a bob style and she wears a blue tanktop with a white shirt, held up by a flowing pink sash. White gloves cover her arms.

"What do you mean, Lisanna?" Levy questions, grabbing Lucy's face and turning it to examine the mark on her head. It is bright red, and rapidly bruising. The Celestial Mage winces at the rough treatment. Lisanna walks forward a bit, staring thoughtfully at it, "Could her memories have been altered?"

"I have heard about this happening," Levy admits, nodding her head. She didn't feel the need to be angry at this new Lucy. She is too different to get upset at. Lucy looks at the both of them with bewilderment. Lisanna pokes the mark, earning a yelp from Lucy as she tries to pull away.

"What do you remember?" Lisanna questions thoughtfully, pulling at one of Lucy's cheeks while Levy yanks at the other. Lucy bats them away gently, clearing her throat, "When I got hit? The city was falling… and-"

"The city?" Levy interrupts with a giggle.

"Nirvana… Don't you guys…" From the blank looks on their faces, Lucy can tell that this isn't a concept they are familiar with. Her face falls, and she looks at the ground as a blush forms on her face. The act of this sends the guild into a shocked silence.

"Even your personality has changed," Mirajane observes as she nears the group surrounding Lucy, staring at the mark on her head, "It must have been some accident."

"Do I look that bad?" Lucy asks with a frown, her lip protruding. A couple anxious chuckles echo through the crowd gathered.

"No, let's get you cleaned up," Mirajane murmurs softly, throwing a hesitant arm around the girl. Lucy feels comfort from the embrace and she sniffs slightly, missing her own guild. She couldn't tell them this. Who would ever believe her?

* * *

><p>By the time the group reaches the traveller's inn, night has already fallen. Erza reads the sign on the top, "The Traveller's Inn, Rise. Gray, what does the request say?"<p>

"It says that this woman took a bunch of money from a bunch of people for some diet food called Metamo-chan. The whole town got addicted and then went bankrupt. They are calling it the City without Sound since so many people have been leaving. They want us to reprimand her and get their money back," Gray reports, placing the page in his jacket pocket, which he surprisingly still wears. He looks forward at the large yellow building, noticing a lack of presence from their dragon slayer partner. Happy paddles up behind them, looking up at Erza, "Natsu isn't happy."

"How can we expect him to be?" The reequip mage bluntly states, looking back at their friend. He stares up at the stars, clutching Lucy's keys in his hand. Gray frowns at the sight, looking over at the inn and then back at the moping pinkette, "Flames for Brains, you going to mope or destroy some shit?"

The man in question turns towards him, hardening his eyes as he catches sight of the ice mage, "You calling me out, Ice Nugget?"

"Are you too chicken, Flame Spewer?" Gray finds himself retorting as he stalks up to the dragon slayer. A red aura builds around Natsu, and they both are ready to fight when Erza steps between them, "Mission, remember?" She doesn't reprimand them for arguing. The fact that they both seem to be getting back to a normal routine brings the smallest hint of a smile to her face.

"What are we doing?" Natsu turns his head from Gray, looking at the building in front of them. The ignored ice mage crosses his arms, frowning at the question, "If you had been paying attention, you would know."

"If you were interesting, maybe I wouldn't ignore you," Natsu taunts, a hint of a smile playing on his face as he looks defiantly at his friend. Gray looks a bit shocked at the quick reaction from the dragon slayer, instantly hardening his face at the comment. His mouth opens to retaliate when Erza chuckles, starting for the building without a word to say to the two of them. Natsu trails after her, with Happy flying behind him. The ice mage gapes at the behavior, closing his mouth as he races after them, unknowingly leaving the request and his jacket laying on the ground behind him.

* * *

><p>"There you go, good as new!" Mirajane exclaims as she finished dabbing Lucy's forehead with a sticky substance. The Stellar Mage looks up at the kind woman, feeling a heavy weight settling on her heart. She is so much like the real Mirajane, the likeness is impeccable and it makes her heart want to break. Why did everyone have to be so different?<p>

"Thank you, Mira-san," Lucy replies numbly, staring at the wall across from her bed. Her eyes grow misty once more, but she wipes them. Her eyes catch Mirajane's. The bartender has wide eyes, hands over her mouth. Lucy reels back, touching her face, "Is there something on my face?"

"N-no! You've just never called me Mira-san before… I-it's nice," The whitehaired woman replies with a kind smile, giggling softly as she puts away the towel that she was using. She looks back at Lucy, blue eyes flashing, "Now. Are you ready to go out and see everyone?"

"Wait! Mira! W-what am I supposed to be like?" The blonde questions softly, looking down as she waited for the answer. The bartender pauses, tilting her head slightly, "Scary. You are good at beating up Natsu and have a rivalry with Levy, but I think you are truly sweet underneath. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you forgot."

"Thank you," Lucy mumbles, fiddling with her hands as she stares at her hand. The guild mark is gone. The more she rubs there, the more upset she feels. Mirajane starts to leave, hand gripping the doorknob when the Celestial mage calls out to her once more, "Mira-san… do you know where my keys are?"

"Keys?"

"Like the Portals to the Spirit World?" Lucy looks over at the other woman, finding pure confusion over her face. Her heart sinks down into her stomach. Mirajane smiles slightly, "Your magical weapon? It's on your belt."

Lucy glances down to see a whip attached to her hip. No more spirits. The other woman didn't even understands when she had mentioned it. The blonde grasps the weapon, taking it out of her belt and staring at it. It looks just like her old one, but further inspection shows her that a magical lacrima rests at its base. She flicks it gently, watching the leather expand out at her will. Carefully, she places the weapon back onto her belt and lays back on the bed, frowning sadly, "I miss you. Natsu… Happy… everyone."

* * *

><p>"I miss Lucy," Happy complains suddenly, causing the group to turn around and look at him. The traveller's inn is empty from what they can tell and it makes it seem all the more lonely. Erza nods towards the Exceed, acknowledging his grief. Frankly, none of them know how to quell the empty feeling in their hearts. Natsu angrily clutches the keys in his hand, ordering out a response, "We should split up."<p>

Nobody questions it, the isolation allow time for self realization in the death of their friend. Happy trails after the pinkette, knowing full well that he would need aid in his mourning.

"Natsu, you're going to break the building," Happy complains to his fiery friend. The pinkette slams the door to the empty room, cracks appear on the edge of the frame. The dragon slayer huffs, stalking over to the next door, "There's nobody here!"

"What about that room?" Happy questions, pointing at a door surrounded with large colorful plush animals. Natsu tilts his head, shrugging as he starts for it. The faded tan walls slowly transition to a sky blue wallpaper when he reaches the end of the hallway. Weird cat-like creatures line the doorway, making the room seem more childlike than ominous. Instead of knocking, Natsu goes right for the door handle, starting to open the door when it swings open on its own accord. A black haired woman stands waiting, munching on a weird snack in her hand. A strange shade covers her face as she starts to speak, mouth full of the weird snack in her hand, "Yup, yup? Come to buy young man?"

Natsu's face screws up in confusion, "Are you Daphne?"

"Yup, yup! Must be a customer! Come on in, come on in, quick quick, come on in!" She shouts as her face seems to glow in happiness at the prospect of him being here. A magic circle blooms underneath his and Happy's feet. They start to get pulled towards the door when Gray and Erza round the corner.

"Hey! Don't go beat her up without us!" The ice mage complains angrily, starting to speed up when a magic circle starts to drag the both of them in as well.

"Yup yup! More customers! Yup yup yup!" Daphne chants as the doors shut behind the group, locking them inside the dark room. Nobody moves for a second, until they all jump back at the sight of Daphne on top of a podium. Fireworks explode behind her as she starts to go into a sales speech. Music starts to play from somewhere in the room, shocking the group into silence at the saleswoman's behavior and splendor. She starts ranting about her beauty, and suddenly the bottom of her platform gets sindged.  
>"I could care less. Have you been swindling the townsfolk?" Natsu pipes up, annoyed with the antics and her lack of attention with their true priorities. Gray and Erza glance at him briefly, before looking back at Daphne.<p>

"Yup yup yup! At your service!" A white tint glows over her glasses as she pushes them up, a mischievous look growing on her face. Immediately, Gray's shirt flies off as he rolls his shoulders. Erza reequips her armor, holding her sword in her hands as she stares down the woman. Natsu smirks, fire growing around him, "I'm all fired up."

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight,<em> I'm<em> the one who beats up Natsu?" Lucy mumbles softly, filing it under things in this world that made no sense to her. Lisanna giggles, leaning over the bar as she glances over at the timid pinkette crouching behind a table.

"Yep! But I was pretty sure you secretly liked him," The bar mistress responds with a grin. Lucy can feel a slight blush growing onto her cheeks as she shakes her head, "_Him_? No way."

"Probably not anymore, until your memories come back or whatever happened gets fixed," The other woman speculates, shrugging slightly, "It's weird having you be all chatty and calm."

"I'm trying to act better. What would I be doing right now?" Lucy looks around at the guild, slightly perturbed at the differences that the people here have compared to the ones back home. Lisanna hums softly as she tries to think of something, her face brightening as she finally says, "Arguing with Levy! Since you don't like to beat up Natsu."

"What kinda things do we argue about?" Lucy questions, trying to get a better feel for how she had to act to be accepted. With no hope of going home, wherever that is, she knows that she is going to have to get comfortable with this Fairy Tail, however strange the people act.

"Trivial things, mostly just yelling and shouting about little flaws about each other," Lisanna lifts her body off of the bar, noticing a guild member motioning her over. She smiles at Lucy, tilting her head towards the girl, "Good luck!"

Lucy gulps slightly, turning towards where she saw Levy last. The mechanic is working on some machine over in the corner. She needs something to argue about. Bravely, she gets off of her chair, walking over towards the other version of her best friend. The timid Natsu trials after her like some sort of dog. The Celestial mage gathers up her courage, hesitantly calling out Levy, "Why don't you work faster….. gear….weirdo?"

The woman in question bangs her head on the device as she jerks her head up in surprise. She looks over at the tentative Stellar mage. For a moment, her eyes cloud in confusion before she realizes what Lucy is trying to do. Immediately, she scowls, rubbing her head, "Look what you had me do, amnesia gorilla woman."

Lucy is taken aback for a moment, at a loss for good insults. She thinks back to Gray and Natsu, the way they would bicker back and forth. They always somehow came to a brawl at the end before Erza ripped them apart. After thinking for a moment, she comes up with something and tries to say it in the meanest way possible, but it only comes out slightly grumpy, "Are you calling me out… freaky mechanic?"

"I am calling you out, whiplash. Whatcha gonna do about it?" Levy retorts quickly, leaning in and staring at Lucy's face with a small smirk building. Obviously in this state the bluenette would win in an instant. Lucy has to try and think of some answer that wouldn't get her killed, when Lisanna comes walking up on the fight, "I think that's enough for one day."

She places a hand on Lucy's shoulder, guiding her away from the situation. Levy huffs, returning back to her work with a snide comment, "Wouldn't want to damage her head further."

Lucy can see a small smile on the young woman's face, and notices how the other guild members are starting to look at her differently. Maybe she could fake it after all.

* * *

><p><strong>This is soooo late and I apologize. School and pit orchestra took over my life for a while. <strong>

**I hope you enjoy this suuuper late chapter.**

**Thanks for sticking around!**

**Thanks to Akela-Nakamura for editing! She only had one correction!**

**Sorry again,**

**-Spirit**


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